Former Trump aide Corey Lewandowski accused of making unwanted, 'vile and disgusting' sexual advances
Corey Lewandowski, a longtime political aide to former President Donald Trump, is accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a Republican donor over the weekend, Politico reported Wednesday.
Hours after the allegation emerged, a pro-Trump super-PAC removed Lewandowski from his role overseeing the group, according to the New York Times.
Trashelle Odom, the wife of Idaho construction executive John Odom, told Politico that Lewandowski approached her at a charity dinner in Las Vegas and made repeated advances, including touching her legs and buttocks, over the course of the evening. Four people who attended the event corroborated Odom’s account.
“On the evening of September 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada, I attended a dinner to support a charity and spend time with wonderful friends,” Odom told Politico in a statement. “He repeatedly touched me inappropriately, said vile and disgusting things to me, stalked me and made me feel violated and fearful.”
Lewandowski, who is married and has four children, served as Trump’s first campaign manager early in the 2016 presidential campaign and has been an outspoken Trump loyalist, with frequent appearances on television. He flirted with the idea of running for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire in 2020, but said he decided against doing so in order to help Trump’s reelection effort. He is the author of the book “Let Trump Be Trump.”
In 2017, Lewandowksi was the subject of a police report filed by pro-Trump singer Joy Villa, who accused him of slapping her buttocks during a holiday party at the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C.
“He grabbed me very boisterously, unexpectedly,” Villa said of the incident, adding that Lewandowski “smacked my ass really hard, almost violent in nature.”
Odom’s account of the Las Vegas event appears to bear some similarities to the one involving Villa.
“Corey was verbally and physically aggressive and forceful. I was fearful for my physical safety.” Odom said in a statement to Politico, adding, “I was also fearful that Corey has the power to destroy and ruin everything my husband and I have been working on in our business, personal and charitable endeavors.”
Lewandowski has not publicly commented on the allegations made by Odom. His lawyer, David Chesnoff, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Yahoo News, but the attorney did give a statement to Politico.
“Accusations and rumors appear to be morphing by the minute and we will not dignify them with a further response,” Chesnoff said, without referring to the specific claims made by Odom.
Odom said she was going public with her allegations for a simple reason.
“I am coming forward because he needs to be held accountable,” she said in her statement. “I am blessed to have a loving husband and family behind me. I want other women to know that you can be heard, too, and together we can stop terrible things like this from happening.”
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